Storage Starved? 6 Tips and Tricks Anyone Can Use

Author Janet Lee reveals six small space storage solutions as valuable to apartment renters as they are to homeowners.

Over the past 20 years, author, blogger, and television producer Janet Lee has lived in a dozen small apartments, none of them larger than 750 square feet. Small wonder that she’s earned a wealth of knowledge about making the most out of less-than-spacious spaces.

Through her blog, Living in a Nutshell, and her book, Living in a Nutshell: Posh and Portable Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces, Lee offers advice on maximizing the real estate you’ve got, however limited it may be. Her small space storage solutions reveal your home’s hidden storage potential.

Photo: amazon.com

1. Outer Edges of Bookcases
Increase the storage capacity of a bookcase, armoire, or any wall-mounted cabinet by simply attaching racks, hooks, or shelving to the outer sides of the unit. Lee points out, “The trick is to keep the color or materials of the add-on shelving consistent with the style of the bookcase itself.”

2. Over the Fridge
The storage-starved among us typically leverage the space above the refrigerator. Lee suggests organizing items you keep here into coordinating boxes. Or if the appliance occupies an unusually tight space, install a curtain that extends down only low enough to conceal the loose collection of items the top of your fridge holds.

3. A Folding Screen’s Flipside
Capitalize on the fact that guests so rarely see the back of your folding screen: Add over-the-door shoe bags or hang a laundry bag from a small hook. Of course, the room divider must be sturdy enough to support the weight of whatever you choose to hide behind the panel; wood-framed designs are ideal.

4. Underneath Sofas and Living Room Chairs
We all know what a godsend a storage bin under the bed can be. So why stop there? Lee asks. Stow baskets and bins beneath furniture beyond the bedroom. A good place to start is the living room sofa. For easy access (and to prevent floor damage), enhance your bins with caster wheels. Lee advises, ”Choose sliders you can attach with screws or nuts for a secure fit.”

5. Hallway Walls
Transform tiny hallways and foyers into stylish catchalls with this inexpensive trick: Stretched across a wall or frame, rubber boating straps can support mail, keys, small toys and shoes—any possession you want to keep within arm’s reach, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.